Time to Play

NW Adventure Dogs provides more than your average dog-walking

Briana Kemp

Billy the Jack Russell terrier mix bounds fearlessly over a stream bank and into the water, plunging after a stick and bringing it back to the feet of Briana Kemp, who tosses the stick back into the water. Elsewhere, Norwich terrier mix Penny has her nose to the ground, sniffing out all there is to sniff.  Terrier mixes Mouser, Frankie and Buffy fill out this pack of five, four of them rescue dogs, as they roam the landscape of Buford Park. They’re all out adventuring instead of sitting at home with nothing to do.  Continue reading 

A Woof in the Park

EW’s canine reporters sniff out Lane County’s dog parks

Lane County dog owners have plenty of off-leash dog park options when it comes to letting their pooches run free.  And who better to explore our many dog park choices than my trusty canine interns: Huckleberry, a teddy bear-Ewok hybrid from the shelter, and Togo, an Alaskan husky with legs like stilts. In the long shadow of Woodward and Bernstein, we three set off to investigate just what makes each local dog park special for our four-footed friends:   Continue reading 

Portland’s Pussycat Paradise

An afternoon at Portland’s Purringtons Cat Lounge, the Northwest’s first cat cafe

Butch

Cats are winning. As I write this, my cat, Elsie, slinks around my legs, looking up at me, knowingly. Cats have always known they were winners; it just took society, with a helpful boop from the internet, some time to catch up. Dogs, however, in all their earnest, loyal, slopping glory, have long ruled the hearts of the majority, from “man’s best friend” to Old Yeller. For millennia, dogs have stood by as our companions, our families, our heroes. Continue reading 

Whirled Pies taking over restaurant section of Cozmic

Pizza lovers, rejoice! Local pizza shop Whirled Pies is now operating the restaurant portion of popular venue Cozmic at 199 W. 8th Ave. Don't worry, though — you can still catch all your favorite shows and events at the venue, because all but the restaurant has remained the same. "We're still having very frequent shows through Cozmic Presents," Whirled Pies co-owner Laurel Bui explains. "We're definitely using it as a venue and we've kept the same promotor and website." Continue reading 

Bacon of the Sea!

This just in from Oregon State University: Seaweed that tastes like bacon.  According to an OSU press release:  Oregon State University researchers have patented a new strain of a succulent red marine algae called dulse that grows extraordinarily quickly, is packed full of protein and has an unusual trait when it is cooked. This seaweed tastes like bacon. Continue reading 

The Kids Are Alright

Childcare options at the Fair

“Childcare has been a part of the Oregon Country Fair for 37 years,” co-coordinator Johnny Whiddon says. “Parents need a break, kids need a break. We try to provide a Fair experience, tailored to the little guys.”  Children who are potty-trained, up to age 12 or 13, can come to one of two childcare locations for two hours at a time, to enjoy live music, face painting, entertainment, acrobatics, arts and crafts, quiet activities like board games and chess and good ol’ story time.  Continue reading